Shattered Innocence
by SincereNaruto
Summary: After surviving a horrifying ordeal at the hands of the villagers and Shinobi of Konoha, Naruto finds his world shattered. Now only his friends can pick up the pieces of his soul and put him back together, but will it be enough. Rewrite of 'Tears of Hope'
1. Chapter 1

**Shattered Innocence**

**Note:** This story takes place after the first attack on Konoha and Naruto's fight with Gaara and just shortly after Tsunade became the Fifth Hokage.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto, nor am I affiliated in any way with Naruto. I just like the show and manga so I wrote this fanfic.

**Beta reader:** Kiiroi Senko! XD

This fanfic belongs to me. If you want to use it in any way shape or form, you'll need my permission first.

* * *

Hey everyone!!! Welcome to the rewrite of my first story '_Tears of Hope'_!!!!!

I decided I was going to go back to my first fic and clean it up a bit, as well as add some extra content and iron out the dialogue and layout. After all, it was my original piece of work that got me into writing in the first place, so it deserves some special attention. I also plan on combining it with its unfinished sequel and molding them into one continuation, rather than keeping them separate, although we'll see how it goes first and how long this turns out.

If you haven't read my first story yet , then welcome to my original idea for a fanfic. I hope you enjoy it!!!! If you have read it, well then this one is pretty much the same, only with major improvements to its layout and content. Consider it a major overhaul rather than a complete rewrite.

**P.S.** _'Eyes of the Broken Soul'_ will still take priority over this story and its update speed will not be affected negatively in any way. I will only update this one sporadically when I have the chance to work on it, so it will be a long haul, but I think it will be well worth the new coat of paint. It also depends heavily on the feedback I get, whether or not it is worth the time to pursue. I will still leave the original story up for anyone who wants to read it.

* * *

**Full Summary:** This is a story centered around Naruto and his battle with his own sense of identity and self-worth. After surviving a horrifying ordeal at the hands of the hateful villagers and Shinobi of Konoha, the boy quickly loses his faith in himself and in those around him, while being caught up in the nightmares of his brutalization. Now only his friends can pick up the shattered pieces of his soul and put him back together, but will they be able to bring Naruto back to what he once was, or is he destined to remain in the lonely hell of his nightmares forever.

* * *

--

**Chapter 1 - The Call of Darkness**

The light sparkle of soft, warm sunlight slowly crept across the river that bordered the training grounds of Konoha, causing it to glisten brightly in a dance of illuminate shades of orange and gold while three eager genin waited not so patiently on the bridge it flowed gently underneath. The sharp evidence of suggestive taunts and insults scattered throughout the cool morning air, betraying the evidence of an argument and disturbing the otherwise blissful peace.

It was just another day in the village of Konoha as Team Seven waited for their ever late sensei, who had still yet to make his usual flashy appearance. Naruto and Sasuke were once again bickering with each other over some meaningless debate while Sakura was once again desperately trying to calm them both down, much to her own growing lack of success. After a few failed attempts at what many would regard a wasted effort, the pink haired girl finally gave up with an exhausted sigh, before spinning on her heels and walking over to the edge of the bridge that they had gotten all to familiar with.

_'These two will never learn will they?'_ She thought quietly to herself, suppressing a disgruntled huff as she ran her fingers through her hair. _'I mean it's not like we haven't done this enough times already...'_

As if to calm her wavering tension, a small breeze suddenly picked up in the air, gently caressing the young genin in a cool embrace while tickling her pink locks of hair against her cheeks. Sakura just leaned quietly against the edge of the wooden bridge and stared at her wavering reflection as it glimmered and danced atop the water's surface, while enjoying the soothing comfort of the warm sunlight touching against her face, the bickering of her teammates now becoming nothing but a faint whisper as her thoughts began to flood her mind.

She couldn't help remembering back on everything that had happened over the past few weeks in the chaos of the chunin exams, from the attack on Konoha by Orochimaru, to the battle with Gaara and how Naruto and Sasuke fought to protect her from harm. The girl couldn't help the small flash of a smile that appeared on her face, or the deep sigh that left her lips, although it didn't go unnoticed by her two colleagues.

"Sakura-chan?"

Sakura immediately snapped out of her trance only to see Naruto's hand waving in front of her eyes, clearly given away by the bright orange sleeve that adorned his wrist. She then turned around to see two sets of eyes staring at her, blue ones filled with worry and concern, while dark grey ones held what could only be described as a knowing glint.

"You zoned out there for a second." Sasuke smirked, showing an unusual amount of humor in his expression.

"Are you alright? You looked like you were daydreaming..." Naruto continued in his stead, clearly worried about his female teammate.

It was hardly a secret that the boy had always had a crush on Sakura, mostly because of his numerous and unrelenting displays of affection that were often promptly squashed, much to his own embarrassment, and it was something that Sasuke couldn't help but take advantage of.

"Don't worry, it wasn't anything about you, dobe..." The Uchiha quipped with a small grin appearing on his otherwise stoic expression. He was satisfied to see the blond's face redden in frustration, now completely forgetting about his concern and replacing it with nothing but loathing anger.

"What's that supposed to mean, Sasuke-teme?!?!" Bingo! The bait had landed its prey...

"Who are you calling a teme, idiot?!?!" The dark haired boy retorted with just as much enthusiasm.

"Oh well, there they go again..." Sakura sighed, before looking back up at her teammates with a tired expression.

The argument hadn't even lasted a whole of ten seconds and Sasuke already had Naruto trapped in a headlock, all the while shouting insulting profanities into the blond boy's ear. Of course, his opponent wasn't going to take things lying down and was desperately trying to escape the Uchiha's grasp.

Sakura could only smile as she took in the scene she had gotten all too used to witnessing over the past few months that they had spent with one another, while thinking quietly to herself of just how fond she had grown of the two of boys. Even despite the fact that Naruto often irritated her beyond belief, she found herself realizing just how important the blond was to her and how she would be there for him like he had always been for her.

***Poof!***

Thankfully for the girl's failing patience, Kakashi finally made his arrival in a flashy display of smoke as he puffed into existence, holding the distinctive bright evidence of small orange book in his hand that all three youngsters had become all too familiar with seeing. Both Naruto and Sasuke immediately disengaged their deadlock before turning to glare at the late arrival with deepened scowls etched clearly onto their expressions.

"You kept us waiting for two whole hours!!!! What took you so long!?!?!" Kakashi was just about to reiterate the excuse he had been concocting on the way over to them, but he was cut off before he even had the chance to utter a single syllable.

"And don't give us that bullshit about helping some old lady with her shopping bags!!!!!" The masked jounin just let out a wavering, lazy sigh, doing little to hide his obvious dissapointment.

"Damn, I guess that means I've used that excuse before, haven't I?"

"Five times this month already..." Naruto retorted sharply. "This would have been the sixth time..."

"Wow! That's impressive..." All of them turned to Sasuke as he spoke in a near whisper, although he was sure to be loud enough to be heard. Naruto just raised his eyebrows curiously.

"What?" The blond asked cautiously, causing the Uchiha to suppress another confident smirk. "What's so impressive???"

"Oh, I'm just surprised that the _'dobe'_ can count after all..."

The brief moment of eerie silence that followed was only marred by the rustling of leaves as they swayed in the gentle breeze and even Kakashi could have sworn that he heard a pin drop on the other side of the village. It hardly lasted long, however, and soon the two boys were at it again, causing both their sensei and Sakura to shake their heads dismissively.

"Sheesh, when will you guys give me a break? I have enough grey hairs as it is without you two giving me any more. Next thing you know, I'm going to start balding, although that would save me money on hair gels. Anyway don't you want to hear about the mission we have today?"

Naruto's eyes immediately widened with glee at the thought of what they might be doing and he did little to hide his excitement. Kakashi silently wondered if the blond genin might have just spontaneously combusted on the spot, although that would do little to help the integrity of the wooden bridge underneath their feet.

_'I wonder what we're doing today??? Will it be an awesome B-rank mission or... or maybe we'll finally get an A-rank mission for once!!!'_ Naruto's thoughts and hopes were abruptly shattered as Kakashi opened his mouth to speak, announcing the mission they would be receiving for the day.

"Today.... we are all helping to rebuild the Ninja academy!" The masked jounin announced cheerfully, knowing all to well the response he was going to get.

**"What!?!?!?"** Naruto cried in anguish, gaining a predictable sigh from his sensei. "We're ninja of Konoha, not some construction crew!!!"

The boy was clearly upset by what he thought was a complete waste of his skills and even Sakura and Sasuke seemed a little bit dissapointed, although they at least managed to hide it better. With another deep sigh Kakashi started to explain.

"Look Naruto, Konoha is still trying to recover from Orochimaru's attack and is currently in a weakened state. If we don't work hard to rebuild as quickly as possible we could be under threat of another attack."

"But..." Naruto started before Kakashi quickly cut him off again.

"BUT _WE_ have a duty to protect our village and its people above all else, including our own personal desires, and right now the best way to do that is by helping to rebuild it together. The sooner we get Konoha back on its feet, the sooner we will start getting more high ranked missions flowing in again." Naruto just sank in defeat. It was hard to argue with the masked jounin when he put it that way.

"Fine!!! Lets get going..." The boy groaned distastefully, putting a smile on his sensei's face.

After that, the team made their way over to the ninja academy, where they immediately got to work under Iruka's supervision. Naruto and Sasuke were clearly still in a competitive mood, because soon after they started with their work, their rivalry sparked off a competition as to who could get the most done in one day.

Naruto had a major advantage in numbers, however, and he wasted little time in conjuring up a small army of blond clones to assist him in his task, while making quick work of their repairs. Although the orange clad genin would have faired a lot better if it weren't for his own clumsiness. Sakura herself was just content to leave the two boys to their own devices, especially if it meant taking some of the load away from her own hands.

Iruka, on the other hand, couldn't help the smile that etched itself onto his features as he looked on at his orange-clad former student, who now seemed to be much happier than he had ever appeared before, with friends that he cared for by his side. To see the boy laughing and smiling genuinely was something that warmed the chunin's heart. Naruto was finally happy, he could tell that much just by the glow he saw in his cerulean eyes.

"He's getting a lot better now, isn't he?" Iruka turned around to see Kakashi walking up to him, with his small orange book still firmly in hand. The scarred chunin's smile widened even further at that and he let out a deep sigh of content.

"Yeah... I suppose he is. I can see that he's a lot stronger than he ever has been before. I think he just needed someone to be there for him, even if only as a friend."

Iruka still couldn't help but worry though. He knew all too well how the villager saw Naruto, as nothing more than the monster that had destroyed their lives and taken away their loved ones. The boy had managed to survive their cruel glares and hateful wispers this far, but the chunin couldn't help but worry that they might take their hatred even further than that one day. After all even the smallest snowfall can sometimes be enough to start an avalanche.

He only wished that he could show everyone else what he saw in the blue eyed boy he had come to think of as his own son.

--

After a long day of working non-stop, the sun finally began to make its way slowly over to the horizon, setting the sky ablaze in a colourful painting of oranges and pinks. Team Seven had now regrouped just outside of the academy and were saying their good-byes for the evening, all content with what they had echieved in such a short space of time.

Naruto's and Sasuke's rivalry had pushed the two beyond the call of duty and Iruka could only marvel at how much they had managed to achieve in one day of work, no doubt because of their competitive natures and unwillingness to lose to one-another. The chunin quickly sent the blond haired boy on his way with a light, affectionate tap on the head, before watching him trot out of the front gates and falling alongside Sasuke, who was also ready to leave. The boy only turned around to face them when he realized that someone wasn't with them.

"Aren't you coming Sakura-chan." He called back, noticing that the girl was still standing with Kakashi and Iruka.

"Not just yet." She replied. "You two go on ahead, I just need to talk to Kakashi-sensei for a moment. I'll be fine for tonight."

Naruto just bowed his head in disappointment and then started on his way home, with Sasuke walking at his side. It was a few minutes before either one of them spoke, although surprisingly enough, it was the Uchiha who eventually broke the silence.

"Well, it looks like I won again... loser." The dark haired boy quipped nonchalantly.

"What do you mean _'you won'_??? I'd never lose to you, Sasuke-teme!!!!" Before Naruto could get any further than that, Sasuke interrupted him with a raised hand, haulting the boy in his tracks.

"Well, I guess this is where turn off. The Uchiha district is down this way. Don't get lost on your way home loser..." Naruto was about to retort, but found himself unable to find any real comeback. So instead, he just replied as normally as possible.

"Don't worry, I won't. Oh... and Sasuke..." Naruto's voice suddenly dropped into a far softer tone, something that surprised the dark haired boy listening to him.

"It... it was fun today..." Sasuke simply turned his back on the boy and continued to walk his way home, only raising his hand up to wave goodbye.

"I... guess it was fun..." He murmured under his breath, with an ever so slight grin appearing on his face. Luckily, his words weren't loud enough for the blond to hear, otherwise he would never live it down. Naruto just watched as his friend walked out of view, before letting out a deep sigh.

"Friend... he is my friend now, isn't he?" The boy was just about to continue home when a cold voice called from the corner, halting him in his tracks.

"Why would that Uchiha kid be friends with a monster like you!"

Naruto turned to the source of the voice, only to see a tall, dark haired man walk out from the shadow of a nearby alleyway. His eyes burned with a dark hatred that, with a single glance, burned into Naruto's heart with his convicting stare. Behind him were even more villagers and even what looked to be shinobi, judging by their uniforms, all holding sticks and branches or other make-shift weapons. Some of them even had pots and bottles and other household items firmly in their grasp.

"What's going on? What do you want with me???" Naruto took startled step backwards, his own survival instincts quickly guiding him away from the mob and warning him of the danger he was now in. He couldn't help the fearful gulp that caught at the back of his throat, or the panic that gripped his heart.

"You stupid little monster!!!! My family is dead because of you!!!! Don't act so innocent, we all know you're not just a child!!!!" The man then walked up to the blond boy, batting a wooden plank into his hand.

"Now... now you'll pay for your crimes and for the ones you took away from us..." Two shinobi then came up from either side and grabbed Naruto's arms before he could move to get away. The boy's struggles to get free quickly proved futile and soon his body simply resigned to the fate that now encroached on him.

"No... please... it wasn't me. I didn't do anything wrong!!!" Naruto's cries fell on deaf ears and soon the mob closed in around him, holding him the cold glares of their dark, convicting eyes.

--

The shallow sound of shuffling feet whispered across the cool night air as a young kunoichi slowly made her way home, pushing through the dusty streets of Konoha while her aching joints pointedly reminded her of the labour she had partaken in that day. Sakura held her arms in a tight hug as the tried her best to keep herself warm in the icy night chill, rubbing her shoulders briskly to create any kind of friction she could muster.

"It was so warm today, why is it getting so cold tonight? If I knew that it would be like this I would have brought a jacket with me." The girl just let out a deep, shuddering breath, before shaking off the icy chill that ran down her spine.

The moon had already all but disappeared from the sky, following its monthly cycle, leaving only a small illuminated crescent shape remaining amongst the stars, so their was little light being provided by its scant illumination. It was unusually dark in the village of Konoha and that, coupled with the sudden icy weather, gave the eerie impression that there was an ill omen being carried by the wind.

Sakura quickly closed her eyes in concentration, before pushing chakra through her body in order to warm it up a bit, knowing that it was now getting dangerously cold. She had always been good at controlling her chakra, being able to send it back and forth to any part of her body when needed, so it took very little effort to help control her body temperature.

'I hope Naruto made it home in time.' She thought quietly to herself, knowing that Naruto's chakra control was as sufficiently developed yet. The pink-haired girl knew that Sasuke would be fine, but she couldn't help worrying about her other blond counterpart.

"Oh stop being such a worry-wort Sakura, he probably got home ages ago and he wears that massive jacket of his all the time anyway!" Sakura quickly shook off the knot that formed in her stomach, but it did little to help the uneasy thoughts that gnawed at the back of her mind. She soon found herself wandering back onto the conversation she had with her sensei only a few hours before.

**FLASHBACK:**

"Kakashi sensi, I'm a bit worried about something. It's... it's about Naruto."

Kakashi looked over towards Sakura in a startled surprise. It was odd for her to worry about her blond teammate at all, much less admit to anyone that she did, so his curiosity quickly got the better of him.

'Well, it looks like the team is finally growing together a bit more.' He mused to himself before answering.

"What seems to be the problem Sakura?" The girl just stared down to her feet, shuffling her toes along the ground while holding he hands idly behind her back. He didn't know whether it was because she was embraced or just afraid, so he tried to appear as inviting as possible, if only to ease her tension.

"Well... I've kinda started noticing things, you know... um... well..." The girl then took a deep breath. "I... I don't know how to ask this, but..."

"It's alright Sakura, you can tell me what your thinking. I wont say anything to anyone if that's what you're worried about." The girl just let out a deep breath and nodded her head in understanding before finally voicing her concern.

"... Is there... something wrong with Naruto?" Kakashi's only visible eye widened.

"Wrong? What do you mean?"

"I don't know..." The girl respond uneasily. "It's just... it's the way everyone seems to look at him. I've started noticing that everyone looks at him as though he has some sort of contagious disease, like he is unwanted."

The masked jounin was now shocked beyond belief, but he expertly hid his expression lest his student catch onto his surprise. Sakura never noticed things like this about Naruto before when they first started out as Team Seven. Then again, back then she only thought of him as an nuisance. Now it seemed as though she really regarded him as a friend.

"It's nice of you to worry, but don't let it get to you, Naruto is a strong person..."

"But why?!" Sakura cut him off short. "Why do they look at him with those eyes?!" Kakashi let out a deep sigh before answering as best he could without giving anything away.

"Naruto has had a... complicated... past. Let's just say that it involves an event that happenned a while ago that people find hard to forget."

"Did Naruto do something... wrong?" Sakura asked carefully, concern now becoming evident in her voice.

"No, he didn't do anything wrong." Kakashi quickly assured her. "In fact it has nothing to do with what he did at all, but rather what everyone thinks he did." Sakura was now completely confused, but Kakashi quickly reassured her with his famous 'eye-smile', before placing a hand on her shoulder to comfort her as best as he could.

"Don't worry too much about it, I'll take care of him. You just make sure you're there as his friend, no matter what happens, alright? That's all he needs..."

**FLASHBACK END.**

Sakura tightened her grip around herself as the icy wind howled around her, shrieking and whistling under the near moonless sky. As she walked past the front gates of Konoha, a sudden fear started to sneak its way into her mind. The abrupt wisp of of clattering shutters and rustling leaves quickly snapped her to attention, causing her to carefully glance around to see if their was anyone else nearby.

'Maybe I should have asked Kakashi-sensei to walk me home...' She mused thoughtfully.

Just then, something caught at the corner of her eye. The gates to the village were wide open, creaking and winding as the wind rocked them back and forth. The girl's gaze was drawn even further out before settling on the faint trace of a glowing light as it flickered in the distance, sputtering in the wind that rustled through the leaves.

'I wonder who would be all the way out there in this cold...' Sakura slowly made her way over to the village entrance, now holding her hand against her chest to ease the sudden dixcomfort that gripped her heart. She couldn't help but feel uneasy, as though her mind was warning her of something wrong.

"Maybe someone's in trouble. I better go and have a look, just in case..."

The pink-haired girl made her way through the giant wooden gates and then headed out into the forest that bordered Konoha's walls, while searching for the source of the light, but as she got closer a strange scene met her eyes. There were a few burned out torches lying around, sprawled across the earth, even some broken bottles and sticks.

"What on earth was going on here???" The girl then pushed even deeper, allowing her instinct to carry her forward while guiding her through the trees. After a few minutes of walking, she entered a small clearing hidden in the forrest, carrying her gaze to a startling scene.

What she saw stunned her completely. Small pieces of torn material were scattered all over the forest floor, some of them even covered in blood. Wooden planks and some broken glass bottles were also present along the ground, amongst many other items, including bloodied kunai.

It almsot looked like something akin to a war zone, only there was no sign of any struggling or resistance. It was then that the kunoichi suddenly noticed the colour of the material that littered the floor. It was orange. Sakura's heart suddenly froze in panic while a wavering gasp left her lips.

"No... it couldn't be, could it?"

The flickering torch that she had seen earlier now caught her eyes again, drawing her across the clearing towards the source of soft light. As she approached the tree it stood under Sakura was compelled by a sickening fear to look up. As she raised her head skywards, her eyes widened in terror, before filling with tears.

**"No... _NO_****_!_****"**

What she saw, in all her horror, was the young boy that had become one of her closest friends, now hanging from the tree with his neck tied in a noose and his hands tied behind his back. His cloths were torn and battered and blood stained most of its surface. His body was also filled with cuts and bruises, betraying the evidence of a horrible torture he had obviously endured. Dry tear stains were also evident on his cold lifeless face, mixing with the dirst and blood that covered it, and Sakura almost collapsed to her knees in shock.

"Someone... someone ... **SOMEONE HELP!!!**"

The pink haired kunoichi quickly pulled out a kunai from her holster, more out of automatic response than actual sense, and hurled it at the rope that held Naruto, snapping it in half and causing the boy's limp body to fall to the earth. She managed to catch him just before his broken body hit the ground and quickly turned him onto his back, cradling him in her shaking arms.

"N.. Naruto..."

The girls then removed the noose that was tightly tied around Naruto's bruised neck and placed her hand on an artery to check for a pulse. After waiting for what seemed like an eternity a sudden flicker of faint life could be felt. Causing the girl's heart to leap into her chest.

"He's... still alive!!!" Sakura gasped, tears now streaming down her face.

However, her relief was short lived and she knew she had little time to waste. Naruto's pulse was extremely weak as it was and his body was now icy cold from exposure. If she didn't get him to Tsunade as quickly as possible, he would die from his injuries. Sakura quickly cut off the rope that bound Naruto's hands together with a kunai before standing to her feet with the boy in her arms and stumbling back to Konoha as fast as her feet could carry her.

It took the girl only a few moments to get out of the woods and soon she was quickly passing through the front gates to the village with only a brief stumble to bring her pause, all the while carrying a lifeless Naruto in her arms. He was slightly heavy for her to handle properly with her current strength, but that didn't matter now. Nothing else mattered except saving her teammate. Saving her... friend.

_'Who would do something like this? Why would someone do this to Naruto?'_ Sakura thought bitterly to herself.

Her tears that streamed down the girl's face only served to hide the sheer amount of determination in her eyes. The kunoichi didn't even know how she was able to carry Naruto while still retaining the strength to move so fast, but she didn't care either.

Memories started to flood her mind as she made her way through the dark streets of the village, memories of all the times Naruto had saved her, during the chuunin exams when Orochimaru attacked them and during their fight with Gaara. Even the conversation she had with Kakashi sprang up in amongst other thoughts.

Sakura promptly shook them all off, while regaining focus of what she was doing and remembering the importance of her haste. An inner strength seemed to grip her heart as she raced back towards the Hokage Tower, a strength that she had never felt before in her life.

She would save Naruto, just as he had saved her so many times before. She wasn't about to let him down.

--

Well, I hope you enjoyed the first chapter of my rewrite!!!! As I've said, its more of a makeover than a complete rehash, but I will make sure to pump it up to the best of my abilities!!! Hopefully it will be much more substantial now. ^ ^

**Credits:**

Writer - Me of course!!! XD  
Beta - Kiiroi Senko.


	2. Chapter 2 The nightmare Begins

**Shattered Innocence**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto, nor am I affiliated in any way with Naruto. I just like the show and mangas so I wrote this fanfic.

**Beta reader:** Kiiroi Senko! XD

**AN:** Hey everyone, here is the long overdue to this story. As I mentioned before, "Eyes of the Broken Soul" will take priority over this story, but I will update it whenever I have the time. It may take longer than usual, but I won't forget about it either.

Anyway, here it is.

--

**Chapter Two - The Nightmare Begins**

The sharp whistle of howling wind swept past the now darkened walls of the aged Hokage tower, howling and shrieking in their torment while the ominous call of their anguish crept into the tired mind of a very exhausted soul. Shizune slowly made her way down the dimly lit hallways with weary feet, ready to make her way home for the night after what could be considered a very long and trying day.

Of course, that wouldn't be hard for anyone to believe when you considered the fact that this certain Kunoichi was the direct assistant and right hand to none other than the Godaime Hokage herself... and that was a struggle in a league all its own.

The young woman took a brief moment to pause at a passing window, looking outside the small view into the darkened world outside only to frown at the sight of the cold wind and now cloud covered sky. The mere sight of it sent chills to her bones, knowing that she would soon have to traverse through such a chilling wind on her way home.

_'I haven't seen such cold weather like this in a while.'_ She mused to herself as clouds slowly began to cover the night sky.

_'Maybe I should have put some warmer clothes on before heading out.'_ Shizune just shook her head dismally, before continuing down the hallway to the entrance of the tower.

Tsunade was still in her office, working through the long list of growing paperwork that she had neglected during the course of the day. Of course, Shizune new that as soon as she had left her mentor to her own devices, there would no doubt be a bottle of sake adorning the Hokage's desk soon afterwards.

It was probably the only reason the slug princess let her go off so early in the first place, no doubt an effort to shirk her duties and drink unhindered by the younger woman's scorn. Shizune merely shook off her thoughts on the matter as the entrance to the tower came into view.

She didn't really care at this point, because she was too tired to even be bothered. The young woman placed her hand on the icy door handles to open them as soon as she arrived at the entrance, but quickly retreaded them a moment later.

"Shit, I forgot, I still need to wait for the next shift of ANBU guards to arrive before I can go..." Shizune grumbled bitterly to herself. The previous shift had left only a few minutes earlier and the next one would be there shortly, so she would just have to wait a few moments for them to arrive.

"Oh well, I might as well make myself comfortable." With that Shizune walked over to the nearby seat and plopped down into a relaxed position. She allowed her eyes to rest in the time she was waiting, knowing that a little shut-eye couldn't do any harm.

_'Just for a little while...'_ She mused quietly to herself, as her thoughts began to mold into dreams. She was just about to dose off altogether, when a sudden banging sound startled her to attention.

Shizune almost jumped out of her seat in surprise as the nearby door shook with increasingly violent knocks, but she quickly recovered from her unexpected startle. The young woman then rubbed her tired eyes from their exhaustion, before standing to her feet once more.

"That must be the next shift already, it's about time they got here. At least I can finally go home now."

Little did Shizune know just how long this night would be, but the desperate words that reached her ears from the opposite end of the door soon afterwards gave immediate warning to the trial that was to come.

**"Please open up… I need help!"** The young woman flinched in surprise at the sudden call for help.

_'That definitely wasn't an ANBU guard.__ That sounded like Sakura-chan.'_

The jounin quickly raced over to the door and unbolted it, opening it urgently to see what the problem was, but the sight that met her eyes shocked her to the core and her heart immediately sank at the image of what she saw. Before her, kneeling on the floor in exhaustion, was a very distraught, teary-eyed Sakura, holding a battered body in her arms that Shizune could barely recognize in the failing light.

The bloodied figure limped motionlessly in the young girl's firm, tight hold and it was difficult to see past the blood and dirt that covered the small body from top to toe. The only sign that gave away the identity of the battered figure was the small trace of orange showing through the otherwise unrecognizable heap of blood and dirt.

Shizune's eyes widened as she suddenly realized just whom it was that Sakura was carrying and she couldn't help the lump that had suddenly formed in her throat.

"N-N... Naruto-kun! Sakura… what happened?" The young woman then slapped herself on the forehead, berating herself for her own stupidity. "Ugh! Never mind that right now, lets quickly get him to a medical room, you can explain on the way."

Shizune then took the battered body out of girl's shaking hands, despite the young kunoichi's reluctance to let him go, and raced quickly down the hallway, with Sakura trailing not too far behind. Despite her obvious exhaustion, the young girl still managed to keep up to her older counterpart, no doubt a result of the adrenaline now pumping through her veins.

The dark-haired jounin looked down to the battered body that lay in her arms as she continued on her way, noting how cold it was to the touch, probably from exposure to the current weather they were experiencing. She also noted the numerous injuries she could already see just from that position and she could tell they were severe. She didn't need a diagnostics jutsu to determine that much.

"What happened Sakura-chan?!" It was all that she could think of asking, but the pink-haired kunoichi had no real answer that could meet the question addressed to her.

"I... I don't know, I found him just outside the village." Sakura responded, closing her eyes with pain at the mere thought of what she had seen.

"I notice something in the trees when I was on my way home and I decided to investigate, but when I went into the woods, I found him there. He was..."

There was a brief pause, followed by a heavy sob, easily betraying the pain that now festered in the girl's heart. "He was tied up and hanging by his neck from a tree and he was unconscious when I found him. I thought... I thought he was dead..."

Shizune nodded her head in understanding. She was surprised that Sakura was able to relate such difficult information at such a trying time, but she was grateful for the girl's strength. She then examined the area around Naruto's neck, noticing the evidence to support Sakura's claims easily despite the poor light provided by the lamps dotting the hallway.

He had severe bruising around his throat and some grazes indicating a noose made from rope was used. Judging by the severity of the wounds and the coloration of the bruises, which had already begun turning a dark shade of blue, he had obviously been tied up there for quite some time.

_'How could he even still be alive after being suffocated for so long?'_

Shizune shook of her thoughts as the two entered a medical room located inside the Hokage tower. It had always been there in case of emergencies and the hospital was out of the question, especially regarding the importance of treating Konoha's most powerful figureheads in the likelihood of an attack.

After they were safely inside, the young woman then carefully placed Naruto down on a nearby bed, before removing his torn jacket and shirt so that she could better examine his wounds. A brief diagnostics jutsu later and the kunoichi quickly raised her head and turned to look back at the youngster standing beside her.

"We need Tsunade-sama right away!" She shouted firmly.

Sakura knew right away after hearing that, that Naruto's condition was extremely serious, especially if the slug princess herself was needed for his treatment. Not even a moment later, as if to answer her call, two figures appeared in the doorway. Both were wearing masks and dark uniforms, betraying their identity immediately It was the next ANBU guard shift.

"Good you're here." Shizune sighed, turning to face them. "You two quickly go to Tsunade-sama and tell her to get down to the emergency medical ward right away! Tell her it's urgent!"

"What's going on?" One of the guards asked calmly. He was answered only with a sharp glare and an equally dangerous temperament.

**"GET HER NOW OR I'LL KILL YOU BOTH RIGHT WHERE YOU STAND!!!"**

The ANBU guard simply jumped back nervously, an effort to avoid the sudden wave of killing intent that suddenly washed over him. Not daring to test her threat, he complied with a "Yes mistress Shizune" and then disappeared in a flash of smoke. Shizune then looked back down to see Sakura with her hands on Naruto's arms, head down crying, causing her to frown at the mere sight that greeted her.

"Please... don't die. I don't want you to die..." The young girl simply continued to weep hopelessly, as her tears ran down onto the motionless body of her teammate... her friend.

_'I don't have time to waste, I need to start working on him immediately.'_ Shizune thought to herself, placing her hands on one of the wounds.

A warm, soft blue glow started to form around the area that her hands were now placed and soon the wounds around it slowly began to close. After healing the first one, she quickly moved on to the next, only she couldn't help the thoughts that permeated her mind as she continued her work.

_'Why wasn't the fox's chakra healing him this time? Even the more minor injuries haven't begun to close yet. This isn't natural...'_

After closing the second wound she then moved to examine the neck area but was immediately interrupted when Tsunade suddenly came bursting into the room.

"What's wrong, who's hurt!?" The sannin growled, quickly moving to approach her apprentice's side.

She knew full well that Shizune wouldn't call her for an injury she couldn't handle herself and if she couldn't handle it, then it was definitely severe. The Hokage's eyes, however, widened in horror as she answered by the sight that lay before her, stretched out on the medical bed covered in his own blood and numerous injuries.

"Naruto?"

Tsunade quickly rushed to the side of the bed, her mind immediately snapping into medical procedure without a moment's notice.

"Report Shizune!" Shizune paused and glanced at Tsunade before nudging her head in Sakura's direction. The sannin immediately knew what she was trying to accomplish. She didn't want Sakura to hear what she had to say.

"Sakura..." She started, with an unusually soft voice, before turning to the girl in question. "Please can you wait outside for..."

"No.. I won't leave him!"

"but I.."

**"NO!"** Sakura looked up with hopeless, defiant eyes. She didn't want to leave her teammate in his time of need. He had never abandoned her before, so how could she leave him now when he needed her the most?

"I... I can't abandon him… I won't abandon him! He's never done that to me so how can I just leave him alone when he needs me?" Tsunade's eyes welled up as she looked at the girl crying before her, but this was not a time for tears. She had work to do and she couldn't let anything get in the way of that now.

"I understand how you feel, I've also been in the same situation many times before, but I need all the room I can get while treating Naruto. Please, you have to understand, this is for the best." Sakura sank her head in defeat, before nodding solemnly. She knew the woman was right, but it didn't make it any easier.

"I... I understand..." She then turned to leave the room, stopping only briefly to glance back at the boy lying not to far from where she stood. A single tear rushed down the side of her face despite her effort to hold it back and she quickly turned away again.

"Please... you have to save him..." And with that she walked out the door closing it behind her.

Once she was gone from view, Tsunade turned to Shizune once more, waiting for the woman's report.

"Well..." She murmured.

"Sakura-chan has explained to me that she found Naruto hanging from a tree by a noose. He was unconscious at the time when she brought him down, but luckily he was still breathing. Judging by their severity of his wounds and the sheer number that run across his body, it is obvious that he was tortured and beaten for quite some time, before being hung up and left to die."

The young woman then took a deep breath, giving her master some time to digest the information she had given so far. It was painfully easy to see the torment in Tsunade's eyes following her description, but she continued regardless.

"He also has multiple burn marks and other lacerations covering his body including severe bruising and grazes. As for internal injuries, Naruto has also sustained countless fractures and even some broken bones, as well as damage to most of his organs and muscles. I'm... I'm surprised he's even alive at all with so many injuries, not to mention the suffocation he was subjected to."

Tears started to form in Tsunade's eyes soon after Shizune had finished her diagnostics, but these tears only served to hide a furious wrath that raged inside of her heart. As she looked down at the small, broken figure below her, thoughts long buried began rushing through her mind once more.

The images of her younger brother's lifeless figure lying dead in front of her many years before haunted the sannin as she looked down at Naruto's own battered form and the starling resemblance in both their appearance and their condition shook her to the very core of her being.

Her thoughts then wondered to the time they encountered Orochimaru only a few weeks before, to the first time she thought Naruto was going to die and the first time in many years that she had finally found the strength to live again. It was a strength that he had given her, a strength that only his smile granted.

"Not again... not again!" She cursed silently.

How could she allow this to happen again? How could she allow someone close to her die again? Was she really that weak? Was she really that incapable of protecting those who were most precious to her?

**"No!"** She snapped at herself. "Now is not the time to be weak, nor is it a time for crying! I have to be strong! I have to save him, no matter what it takes!" Tsunade quickly placed her emotions under firm control, pushing away her life long phobia that had threatened to resurface and steeling her resolve. She then turned to Shizune again, who was still waiting for her response.

"How are his life signs?"

"I'm afraid they aren't very good." The jounin answered disdainfully. "He was barely alive when Sakura brought him here and his condition hasn't improved, but what I don't understand is why the Kyuubi's chakra isn't healing him the way it usually would."

Tsunade pondered at the thought for a moment, before coming up with the only logical answer that she could think of at the time.

"It would normally but..." Shizune looked confusingly at her master as she tapped her chin in thought, before continuing her explanation.

"But the Kyuubi's life is tied to that of Naruto's, so..."

"So the closer he came to death..." Shizune continued in her wake. "The less effective the Kyuubi's healing powers were."

"Yes, that is correct..." Tsunade answered firmly, nodding her head in agreement.

"As Naruto got closer to death the Kyuubi's power weakened as well. I'm assuming that the only reason he survived from being suffocated at all was because the Kyuubi redirected all of its remaining power just to prevent him from dying."

Tsunade then made her way over to a nearby shelf to collect some of the equipment she would need for the trial they had ahead of them.

"Alright, enough talk, lets do this Shizune! We have a long night ahead of us and there is someone important who needs us to save him. I hope you are ready!"

**"Hai!"**

They two medical nins got to work soon afterwards, beginning their long struggle to save the life that now clung desperately to the hope they offered it with their own hands. It would be a long night and they had a lot of work to do if there was to be any chance of success.

--

Dawn came after what felt like an eternity of night and darkness and the fist rays of light finally began to flicker over the horizon, dancing atop the trees and through the windows of the village below as the sun made its glorious introduction over Konoha. The warm rays of golden hope that followed in its wake burned away the remaining cold of the previous night before and the clouds that had lingered in the air parted away once more, almost as if to offer a small promise of hope in trying times.

Back in the Hokage tower, outside the medical ward that Naruto had been taken into the night before, Sakura had long since fallen asleep on one of the waiting benches, having no longer been able to fight her own exhaustion in light of the events she had just partaken in. As the warm rays of light finally touched against her face, caressing it in a gentle, comforting embrace, her body began to stir in the brief moments that followed.

Soon, two weary, turquoise eyes pried open and revealed themselves to the world, dazed and tired in their still lingering exhaustion as she glanced around the hallway. It took a while for the young kunoichi to register where she was in her current fatigue, but soon all of the memories of the previous night rushed back into her like a flood of endless emotions.

Memories of the ordeal she had just been through and of the horrific visage of her blond teammate. The pink-haired kunoichi immediately jumped up to her feet, before her body began to shake nervously in her own anxiety.

_'Is he still alive?'_ She thought quietly to herself, taking a firm but shaky step towards the door that now separated her from her friend.

Sakura couldn't help but fear for the worst, especially knowing just how bad things were if Tsunade's worried expression was anything to go by. But even still, despite all of that, she willed herself onwards. She had to know what had happened... she had to know if Naruto was still alive.

Before she could go any further the door suddenly burst open in a single, swift motion, before knocking against the wall opposite its hinges. Sakura jumped in fright at the mere commotion caused and couldn't help the tears that suddenly leaped from her eyes. Whether from shock or exhaustion, or simply the mere thought of what news awaited her, she herself didn't even know.

Soon afterwards, an exhausted Tsunade walked out into the hallway, moving past the startled kunoichi before settling down on one of the benches near the one Sakura had been sleeping on. The young girl look earnestly at the Hokage as she leaned back into the seat in her exhaustion, before sitting down herself again, focusing her wavering eyes down towards her shaking hands that lay upon her lap.

Both of them just sat there, quietly, waiting for what seemed like an eternity, and Sakura dared not speak lest her voice betray her. The silence was almost to much for for the kunoichi to bear, but was finally broke as the sannin across from her opened her mouth to speak, following an exhausted sigh.

"We've... managed to stabilize him..."

Sakura's heart almost exploded at the sound of those words she just heard. It was almost as though the world itself had disappeared altogether, leaving only the two of them and her feelings behind. Tears that had only fallen softly before were now in full flood as the hopeful words sank even deeper into her heart, bringing with hem an endless amount of relief and joy.

_'He's ... he's still... alive!'_

Her body felt weak again, almost as though she would just collapse any moment, so Sakura quickly rested back into the chair once more, allowing her tears to fall down the side of her face while her heart continued to race in her chest. Relief, exhaustion, concern, it was all to much to bear at once and only her gentle sobs could ease her tension now.

Tsunade simply looked on at the girl set before her gaze, before finally allowing a small, tired smile to finally whisper onto her own features despite her exhaustion. It was the first sign of her own relief since the night before, but it was only reluctantly spared.

"His vitals are picking up, and we've managed to control the most sever wounds." She finally continued, speaking to no one in particular. "His breathing is also returning to normal, but..."

Sakura's head quickly snapped back up again, noting the hesitation in the sannin's voice.

"But what?" She asked nervously, her voice shaking at the mere thought of what could possibly be very bad news.

"But he is still in a critical condition at this point in time..." Tsunade continued with a heavy sigh. "I don't know if his condition will remain this stable so we'll have to be careful. The damage to his body is still extensive and we can't trust..."

The older woman paused in her explanation, realizing that Sakura did not yet know about the Kyuubi sealed within Naruto's body or the healing powers it granted him.

"What?" Sakura nagged again.

"... We... we can't trust the equipment currently at our disposal to ensure his condition remains favorable. We'll need to transfer him to the hospital as soon as possible if we want to keep his condition under proper surveillance."

Sakura looked back down at her hands again. Her body had calmed down, even if only a little. At least Naruto was still alive and that was all that mattered to her right know.

"Shizune, contact the Konoha hospital immediately! Tell them to send a medical team over to the Tower to transfer a patient!" Tsunade shouted through the door.

"Make sure they know that its a critical situation!!!"

Both of the ANBU guards standing further down the hallway were immediately stirred by the commotion. Both had been on high alert throughout the entire evening and were now tiredly waiting for their relief to arrive.

"I still don't know what the hell is actually going on." One of the guards whispered to the other. The other guard shifted his gaze over to his curious teammate, although the mask he wore managed to hide his obvious frustration.

"Dare to ask?" Was the man's only tired response.

"No... I guess not."

--

The gentle sway of flowing water slowly glistened and shimmered in the early morning sunshine, as the warm rays of heaven danced atop its surface in a dramatic display of colour and light. A burst of ripples formed rings of gold and ceruluan as a pebble dropped down and broke onto the otherwise still surface, disturbing the tranquility of the stream and warping a lone reflection that stared back down into it.

Two shadowed eyes, framed by equally dark hair, continued to travel over the surface of the water as their owner looked down from his position on the bridge that ran over it, almost as if searching for something lost but never finding it in their endless wanderings.

"I wonder where everyone is this morning?" Sasuke mumbled to himself as he waited, less than patiently, for the rest of his team.

"Kakashi told us to be here early today for an important briefing, but I'm the only one here..."

Sasuke then tore his gaze away from the river, instead turning it to look down the dusty path hat led up to the wooden bridge he now stood on, searching for the distant figures of his teammates.

"It's a given that our lazy sensei would be late, but that doesn't explain where the hell Naruto and Sakura are." The young Uchiha whined sourly to himself, now growing anxious and irritated at the same time.

"Good morning Sasuke-kun!"

Sasuke almost jumped off the bridge in surprise as Kakashi made his final and rather abrupt appearance in a burst of white smoke, but quickly re-composed himself only to glare harshly at the source of his embarrassment.

**"You should know better than to sneak up on someone like that!!!"** The boy spat angrily, turning his attention towards the new arrival. "You almost gave me a heart attack!"

Kakashi merely responded with his usual, exasperated sigh, before raising his hand up in an apologetic wave.

"Gomen. I didn't realize you were so easy to startle, Sasuke." The jounin then shifted his attention to the immediate vicinity, ignoring the now aggravated Uchiha's death glare in favor of searching for his other two students.

"So, where are Naruto and Sakura? It's not like them to be this late." He finally queried, after finding no trace of the two youngsters. Sasuke simply shrugged in response, acting as though he couldn't care less about the whereabouts of the energetic blond and his other pink haired teammate.

"I don't know, I haven't seen them all morning."

"Then perhaps we should go looking for them. I'm sure they would shy away from their responsibilities unless there is a very good reason for their absence."

Kakashi looked up to the rising sun as it continued to make its way up away from the edge of the horizon, his only visible eye betraying the hardly recognizable and very scant evidence of worry. He knew that Naruto would never be this late for duty unless something was wrong and even Sakura had always made sure to be there before Sasuke arrived. Something was up, he knew that much was certain and the masked jounin couldn't help the uneasy knot that suddenly formed in his stomach.

--

A frantic scene had quickly formed outside the entrance to the Hokage tower as medical personal rushed in response to the Godaime's orders, while a select few of her choosing busied themselves securing Naruto to a stretcher. He had to be transferred quickly and with as little chance for problems as possible, lest anything happened to make his condition fall, and it was the best time to do so, especially considering it was still early in the morning and there were very few villagers wondering around at the time.

Sakura simply stood next the motionless figure beside her as the final straps fastened the boy's body down firmly, preventing him from shifting unnecessarily as they transported him to their destination. She couldn't help but cringe at how still his face was, how silent he remained despite the commotion surrounding him.

It was unnatural to see him that way, in fact it was terrifying in its own right. The once usual bright and sunny disposition that greeted her every day was now nothing more than a lifeless, emotionless statue, covered in the same dirt and marks that had covered it the night before.

The pink-haired kunoichi was so used to seeing that face filled with so much life, so much laughter and happy smiles. His sparkling blue eyes would tell her everything would be fine whenever something went wrong and his broad smile would always lift her spirits no matter how irritating he seemed to be when he grinned stupidly at her with a red tinge brightly lighting his whiskered cheeks.

"It wasn't stupid... it was never stupid..." She whispered quietly to herself.

The young girl once again struggled to fight back her tears as she watched Naruto being lifted into the air, his body still unmoving and his smile still missing from his otherwise mottled and tattered face. She quickly stepped forward to approach him and placed a hand on his bruised cheeks, stroking it gently in an effort to comfort him, even though she knew he probably could not feel it. It was at that very moment that Sakura realized that he didn't have his headband on anymore, leaving his dirty blond hair to fall over his forehead.

_'It must still be in the forest.'_ She thought to herself as the med nins made their final checks to ensure their passengers safety. _'I should look for it later. I'm sure he'll want it back when he wakes up...'_

The sudden, gentle touch of a hand landing on her shoulder shook Sakura from her thoughts, bringing her attention around to its owner who was staring back down at her with a reassuring smile. It was Tsunade.

"He'll be alright." She spoke softly, giving a gentle comforting squeeze. "He's always pulled through for us before and I'm sure he'll do it again." Sakura simply turned her head back again, before speaking softly in return.

"I.. I want to go with them. I need to stay with him for as long as I can." Tsunade just nodded her head in understanding.

"Hai! But don't slow them down or get in the way. If something happens, I need to trust that you will stay back and let them treat Naruto without having to worry about you as well. I'll be at the hospital shortly after you, but I just need to collect some notes from my office first. Shizune will accompany you in the meantime."

Tsunade then turned her attention back to the rest of the group that had gathered, some of the very few med nins she trusted to look after Naruto and to not harm him in any way.

**"Alright!"** The sannin shouted, gaining the attention gaining their attention once more.

"You are to move to the hospital as quickly as possible, but try not to create too much commotion or attract unwanted attention. If anything happens to Naruto while he is under your care, there will be consequences! Am I clear?!?!?"

A unanimous 'HAI!' resounded amongst the ninja before they took of in a flash, jumping across the rooftops as quickly as possible in the direction of the Hospital. Sakura was trailing not to far behind them, but she made sure to keep up with their pace, and soon they were gone from view.

Once they had disappeared from her gaze. Tsunade turned and disappeared back into the Hokage tower. She would have to inform a select few others of Naruto's predicament, especially in his current and highly vulnerable state. There was still a lot of work that needed to be done and she needed all the help she could get.

--

As soon as the front entrance to the hospital came into view, Sakura could already see a small medical team waiting for their arrival, holding an assortment of medical equipment as well as a mobile bed to carry Naruto inside. It was a small relief, knowing that they would be prepared and able to keep a proper eye on him, but the whole situation still made her stomach churn.

The small group landed in front of the doors only a few moments later just as medical staff rushed over to take their waiting patient inside while Sakura stood and watched as they headed towards the door. She was eager to follow them inside, but instead opted to wait patiently to the side of the commotion. After all, she didn't want to get in the way.

Not too far away, a weary Kakashi and an equally frustrated Sasuke were both continuing their search for their two missing teammates, oblivious to the events taking place only a small distance away. Their search had found them wandering even further into the village than either had expected, especially after having already exhausted all other possibilities associated with the missing youngsters, including Ichiraku's ramen stand and even Ino's flower shop.

Both were now exhausted and frustrated with their lack of results and were now simply wandering aimlessly in a futile attempt to gain any clues as to the whereabouts of their missing companions.

Kakashi was even tempted to summon his ninkens to trace their scent, but eventually decided that the urgency of the matter had not yet called for such an action. After all, the chances were that both had simply been caught up in something unexpected, or were simply exhausted from the previous day's strenuous labor.

_'That excuse would explain Sakura's absence, but with Naruto's stamina, he's never shown any long-term signs of fatigue before...'_ Kakashi thought quietly to himself, although he made sure his ponderings were well hidden from his younger counterpart.

"I wonder what's going on down there?" Kakashi looked up towards Sasuke as the young Uchiha spoke up in a monotonous monotone, easily betraying both his ire and his exhaustion at the same time.

Following the direction of the boy's gaze, the masked jounin only visible eye quickly moved to a small crowd gathering just outside the hospital doors. Judging by the med nins waiting outside, it was obvious that something must have gone wrong, an accident of some sort perhaps.

_'Something must have happened...'_

Both shinobi soon found themselves approaching the scene, both curious as to what exactly was going on. It also helped that there wasn't anything better to do considering the ill luck of their search. However, as they drew closer to the commotion, Kakashi noticed a single hospital bed being carted in through the doors, atop it small figure that lay bloodied on its surface.

His eye narrowed almost instantly at the sight, but before he could even think, sharp voice broke his concentration as Sasuke suddenly called out.

"Sakura! What are you doing here?"

The masked jounin quickly turned his attention towards the crowd again and immediately noticed the pink hair and bright clothes standing out amongst the white uniforms of the nearby med nins, their owner staring blankly at the doorway that the unknown patient had just been taken through.

The young girl quickly turned around to see her companions making there way towards her in a silent rush, her attention having been drawn by the call of her dark-haired teammate. She couldn't help the tears that began to rush down the side of her face as she saw them approach, nor could she help it as her body collapsed to the floor in her exhaustion, brining her to her knees just as a by now panicked Sasuke landed right in front of her.

The young Uchiha quickly placed his hand on her shoulder, an unusual action by any stretch of the imagination, before shaking her gently to gain her attention.

"Sakura, what's wrong? What is going on here?"

Soon, the boy's panicked gaze was met with two tear filled eyes, overflowing with both sadness and distress. It was made obvious, just by looking into them, that something grave had happened. The young girl opened her mouth to speak, to answer the question addressed to her, but her words were barely more than an incoherent whisper as they fell through her sobs and she could not bring herself to complete the sentence that fell from her quivering lips.

"It's ... it's..."

But despite her anguished sobs or incoherent attempts at speaking, Kakashi had already put things together in his frantically working mind and realized with a sinking expression just who it was that had been taken inside the hospital. He couldn't help the sudden drop of his heart or the widening of his eye as he turned to look back at the now vacant entrance way.

Only one word left his lips thereafter, one word that held within it all the thoughts and fears that ran through his heart as startling realization hit him square in the chest.

"N... Naruto..."

--

As you can see, if you read the original, I have focused a lot more attention on detail and also character developement. I've also given more insight into each character's thoughts and feelings as well.

I hope it was good! ^ ^

**Credits:**

Writer - Me of course!!! XD       
Beta - Kiiroi Senko.


End file.
